01In brief
Shel Israel is an author on disruptive technologies whom Pew Research Center identified in 2020 as a Forbes columnist. An author of many business books, including Resurrecting Trust: Technology, Transparency and the Bottom Line, he was also listed in a 2018 Pew report as CEO of the Transformation Group. In a 2020 response on digital disruption and democracy, he called himself a “career optimist and tech enthusiast” but said he did not see how technology could repair harms caused by technology and described governments as impotent in addressing the problem.
02Career
In a 2020 report, Pew Research Center described Israel as a Forbes columnist and author of many business books on disruptive technologies.[1] It named Resurrecting Trust: Technology, Transparency and the Bottom Line as one of those books.[1] A 2018 Pew report listed him as CEO of the Transformation Group.[2]
Pew published Israel’s comments in a 2020 canvassing about digital disruption and democracy.[1] It also included his views in reports on future digital innovation and the relationship between quantum computing and ethical artificial intelligence.[3][4]
03Views on Technology and Society
Israel argued that computing is neither good nor evil in itself and that responsibility rests with those who develop, sell and use the technology.[3] In discussing quantum computing, he said it could theoretically allow computers to solve problems and perform faster by orders of magnitude, while emphasizing that greater capability does not determine whether the technology will be used well or badly.[3]
In a 2020 forecast, Israel predicted that the next 10 years would bring more disruptive innovations than the previous 10, driven by AI and immersive technologies such as augmented reality.[4] He envisioned chatbots changing from words on screens into holograms able to use haptic technologies to hug users, voice interaction becoming the primary interface in place of keyboards, and brain-computer interfaces advancing rapidly.[4]
In a separate 2020 Pew report on democracy, Israel said hackers and cyber terrorists were improving while no realistic remedy was apparent.[1] He added, “I am a career optimist and tech enthusiast. Yet, in this dire situation, I don’t see how tech will fix what tech has broken, and governments seem impotent in dealing with the issue.”[1]
Sources
- 1Pew Research Center, 1. Themes about the digital disruption of democracy in the next decade, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 2Pew Research Center, Stories About Digital Life, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 3Pew Research Center, 4. Could a quantum leap someday aid ethical AI?, accessed on September 28, 2026.
- 4Pew Research Center, 4. It’s all just history repeating itself, accessed on September 28, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who is Shel Israel?
Shel Israel is an author on disruptive technologies whom Pew Research Center identified in 2020 as a Forbes columnist. He has written many business books, including Resurrecting Trust: Technology, Transparency and the Bottom Line, and was listed in a 2018 Pew report as CEO of the Transformation Group.
What are Shel Israel's views on whether computing technology is inherently good or bad?
Shel Israel argued that computing is neither good nor evil in itself, and that responsibility rests with those who develop, sell, and use the technology. He applied the same reasoning to quantum computing, emphasizing that greater capability does not determine whether a technology will be used well or badly.
What did Shel Israel predict about technological innovation in the next decade?
In a 2020 forecast, Shel Israel predicted that the next 10 years would bring more disruptive innovations than the previous 10, driven by AI and immersive technologies such as augmented reality. He envisioned chatbots evolving from words on screens into holograms capable of using haptic technologies to hug users, voice interaction replacing keyboards as the primary interface, and brain-computer interfaces advancing rapidly.
What did Shel Israel say about technology's ability to address harms caused by digital disruption and democracy?
Despite describing himself as a "career optimist and tech enthusiast," Shel Israel said he did not see how technology could fix what technology had broken in the context of digital disruption and democracy. He also described governments as impotent in dealing with the issue, and noted that hackers and cyber terrorists were improving while no realistic remedy was apparent.